Finnamore Seeks Outside Advice From Top Flight Executives Fast Track

Friday, 08 January 2010

Following a three-way merger Finnamore became the largest specialist healthcare management consultancy in the UK overnight.

Company directors have therefore brought together recruitment tycoon Rosaleen Blair, the former Businesswoman of the Year and CEO of Alexander Mann Solutions, the Chairman of the Audit Commission, Michael O'Higgins, and Chair of the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, Alan Edwards, to advise on a growth strategy for the rapidly expanding company.

The advisory board's role will be to offer advice on private sector business methods and practices, public sector priorities, restructuring, and to provide neutral viewpoints on key business decisions.

Managing director, John Deverill, explained: "With the merger we brought one small and two medium sized consultancies together effectively doubling the size of the company overnight.

"As a board, we now have a massive increase in staff and a vast range of different areas of expertise available. We are also able to branch out with the services we can offer clients. We want to build on our track record and reputation, and establish ourselves as a key player in the healthcare market as quickly as possible.

"We have managed to attract three of the most highly respected, qualified and well-connected businesspeople in the country for the Advisory Board which will give us confidence and direction for our next key business moves."

During June 2009 Finnamore Management Consultants and The Health Works merged together, then acquired commercial change management consultancy, The Change Works.

Rosaleen Blair, an entrepreneur and business magnate, was credited with building recruitment consultancy Alexander Mann Solutions into an international business with a turnover of over £350m per year. She was named Veuve Cliquot Businesswoman of the Year 2007, and Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 by Ernst & Young.

She will be joined by Michael O Higgins, chairman of the Audit commission, a non-executive director of HM Treasury, chair of charity Centrepoint, trustee of the National Centre for Social Research and a member of the Cabinet Secretary's Capability Review Moderation Panel. Michael was also previously a Managing Partner and Board member at PA Consulting, where he led their Government and IT Consulting Groups.

Alan Edwards, an experienced management consultant who worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, IBM, and East Midlands Airport before becoming Chair of the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, will also sit on the advisory board.

Rosaleen Blair said: "All three members of the advisory board have huge amounts of experience in building and running consultancy practices and large organisations.

"Finnamore is predicting another 50% expansion over the next year, and we will be able to help shape that growth for maximum success. It will be very interesting for us to see how far and fast Finnamore can now grow with the advisory board's assistance."

The new Finnamore was created in June 2009 through the merger of Finnamore Management Consultants, The Health Works, and The Change Works Together, the businesses have an extensive client portfolio of healthcare organisations across the UK, undertaking a wide range of consultancy assignments.
Finnamore’s work will encompass all management issues encountered in health and social care sectors both public and private, from perennial healthcare issues to pioneering new initiatives and developments. It is now one of the most well established and respected consultancies operating in health in the UK. This merger will make it the largest consultancy provider dedicated to health.